Preview: New SAP User Experience RDS Packages

As alluded to in a previous post, we here on the rapid-deployment solutions (RDS) team are excited to support SAP’s new user experience (UX) and design strategy. Studies have shown that intuitive, consistent, and simple user experiences can save time and increase productivity. Users make less errors, training isn’t as complicated, and employee satisfaction rises.

Before we jump into the details of what’s coming out later this month, let’s take a look at the typical process involved in improving the way users work with SAP systems. The below figure is a quick visualization of the three main ways to raise the bar with user experience:

The first option is also the easiest option: implementation of what SAP offers “out-of-the-box” (e.g., Fiori apps). The next option is to extend or tweak the user interfaces SAP offers. And the third option in the sequence is to create your own user interfaces. As you can see, the required investment typically rises as you move from the “adopt” category to the “develop” category.

So how do the soon-to-be-released UX RDS packages help here? Let’s take a closer look at two of the packages:

The SAP Fiori Apps RDS (already available here) enables the implementation of SAP NetWeaver Gateway, SAPUI5, and one or more Fiori transactional apps in a predictable time and at a predictable price. This RDS package is very flexible and modular and allows customers to start with just one app or any combination of 43 Fiori transactional apps available.

It can be delivered quickly (in as little as 4 weeks!) and enables customers to choose between a Proof of Concept (POC) implementation or an implementation for full production purposes. This is a good example of the “adopt” category shown above in that it’s a UX solution quickly ready for use and is based on the most common transactional app scenarios generally applicable for almost all SAP customers.

Another package coming later this month is the SAPUI5 Design RDS. This package takes the same methodology which was used internally at SAP to create Fiori apps and makes it available externally to help customers create their own Fiori-designed apps. This is a quick way to leverage the Fiori design principles to learn how to create new Fiori-designed apps for scenarios not covered by the apps SAP has created and released.

This RDS package provides four different app samples which cover the most popular Fiori app types (e.g., Approval, Leave Request, etc.). It also includes a lot of knowledge transfer including a “Design Thinking” workshop to identify UX needs, Fiori design best practices, and a technical training, proof-of-concept service which showcases how Fiori-designed app creation works.

We are just getting started with SAP user experience and RDS packages in 2014, so stay tuned for updates and releases throughout the year. In the meantime, be sure to check out the SAP User Experience RDS landing page on the Service Marketplace for more details. These new UX RDS packages will be available by the end of the month.